Abigail Adams was a unique woman because she had an education and an interest in politics. She learned how to read, write, and enjoyed reading especially poems. She did all of this at home. She was ahead of her time with many of her ideas. She opposed slavery and believed in equal education for boys and girls, making sure that her own children received a good education. Abigail Adams helped plant the seeds that would start women and men thinking about women's rights and roles in a country that had been founded on the ideals of equality and independence. But most of these ideas did not take place until years later. She should not be known as the wife of one president, (John Adams), and the mother of another ,(John Quincy Adams), but as a woman ahead of her time. What is revolutionary mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it means, constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change. Was she revolutionary? No, Abigail Adams was not a revolutionary woman. Why not? There are many reasons. It will be listed in this essay. .
Abigail's name was originally Abigail Smith. Abigail had two sisters named Mary and Elizabeth or Betsy. She had one brother named William(also know as Billy). Abigail live in a comfortable house. Though they lived well, the Smiths had no fortune (pg 3). "Abigail's father often worked with his own hands, planting corn and potatoes, gathering hay, sowing barley, or making sure that his sheep received proper care . Abigail, with the help of her family grew a very religious bond between each other and a long lasting friendship". (Pg3-17).
Abigail never went to a real school because of poor health. So, she learned at home. "There was never a shortage of teachers: her parents, older sister, and grandparents"(pg 9). Her father's library was not big, but she still went to it to read books (pg 9). Abigail's favorite books were novels by Samuel Richardson (pg 11).
